Diane Dreher's Tao Leadership Blog

Poets and artists have always known this lesson. The Tao moment is what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”—being fully present in the here and now.

Years ago, I learned this lesson in aikido. When we were training, my teacher, Sunny Skys Sensei used to remind students of a Japanese expression: “Tadaima: only now.

We cannot respond well on the mat unless we leave our concerns outside and concentrate on training. Similarly, at work or at home, we cannot respond well unless we are fully present. But being present isn’t always easy when memories, worries, and obligations crowd our brains.

If you find your mind being crowded like this, try saying to yourself:

“Only Now.”
“I’m here now.”

Then take a deep centering breath and be here now,
Living fully in this precious moment.

Why do so many people rush about
Reactively losing their balance?
They give way to emotion,
Impatience and haste,
Thereby losing their center.

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 26

All the creative leaders I know of have one thing in common: a regular practice of centering.

Committing yourself to such a discipline unites you with artists, innovators, spiritual seekers, and visionary leaders throughout the ages. Many people, like Gandhi, have observed regular periods of silence. Others, like Jon Kabat-Zinn, have a regular meditation practice. Some go for runs, walks in the woods, or practice aikido, karate, yoga, or tai chi—exercises that combine body, mind, and spirit.

Wise leaders stay centered in challenging times because of their commitment to a regular centering practice—which can be daily prayer, meditation, or a physical discipline like yoga, tai chi, or the martial arts.

In this world of challenge and change, a vital leadership skill is to stay centered, to remember our purpose. The Tao tells us:

Thirty spokes meet at the wheel’s axis;
The center space makes the wheel useful.
Form clay into a cup;
The center space gives it purpose.
Frame doors and windows for a house;
The openings make the house useful.

Therefore, purpose comes from what is there,
Because of what is not there.

The teaches that nothing exists in isolation, that we are part of an all-inclusive pattern.

It’s apparent from the daily news that we’re experiencing a crisis of leadership in the world around us. We can begin resolving this crisis by claiming the power of leadership within us. Beginning today, I’ll be posting insights from the Tao Te Ching to remind us that we have the power to create new possibilities in our world. For we are all potential leaders, and one step at a time, we can make a positive difference in the world.

A tree that grows beyond your reach
Springs from a tiny seed.
A building more than nine stories high
Begins with a handful of earth.
A journey of a thousand miles
Begins with a single step.